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From: jam@dcl-cs.UUCP (John A. Mariani)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: The continuing i++ saga .. let's endit
Message-ID: <335@dcl-cs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Jul-85 10:54:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: dcl-cs.335
Posted: Wed Jul 24 10:54:12 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Aug-85 21:46:21 EDT
References: <95@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Reply-To: jam@dcl-cs.UUCP (John A. Mariani)
Organization: Department of Computing at Lancaster University.
Lines: 45
Xpath: icdoc ivax

In article <95@brl-tgr.ARPA> DHowell.ES@Xerox.ARPA writes:
>
>Here is my basic opinion:  Programs should be as readable as possible so
>that people who need to look at the code can understand it easily.  If a
>program is harder to read, it is harder to understand, and thus harder
>to change, debug, update, or whatever.  

Here follows the usual stuff which we *all* know already re the above
stuff .... (which I have mercifully deleted) ..

>---Concerning readability---
>
>I have stated that i = i + 1 was more readable than i++.  The reason is
>Just as readable (or even more so) is "increment i", seen in some
>languages in some form or another.  

I've never seen this (thank God!) ... that's not to say I don't believe it,
I'm just glad I've never had to use such a language!

>The comment
>
>  i++;  /* increment i */
>
>has been called a non-comment, and it is for C programmers, but if any
>non-C programmer needs to look at it (which you say never happens, but
>I'm sure it happens more than you think) it is helpful.

This is the crux ... when *does* this ever happen! Look, if U've got to
read a program written in an unknown language and U come across a *really*
common statement, U *go and look it up*!!! If U can't do that, U shouldn't
be reading the program in the first place. This statement is *perfectly*
readable to anyone who has read any C documentation.

This argument is now a DEAD HORSE. We are all *sick* of it. If a language
provides a construct *and* it is an efficient one (both in terms of
keystrokes and machine code produced) I hope you have enough sense to use
it!

Let's get back to serious matters....

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